Skirt for slide-glide door

Abstract

A solid skirt seal mounted to the bottom edge of a slide-glide door panel hinged to rotate about an axis generally parallel to the bottom edge of the door panel, a spring biasing the hinged skirt seal to rotate the lower edge of the skirt seal in a downward direction, and a flexible cover extending between the lower edge of the skirt seal and the lower edge of the door panel.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. In a slide-guide door for a door opening in a transit vehicle, said opening having substantially vertical edges, said slide-guide door comprising at least one door panel having a top edge and a bottom edge, said door panel being coplanar with the door opening when in a closed position, a door post adjacent one of said edges of the door opening, at least one operating arm mounted on and rotatable with the post, the operating arm being pivotally connected to the door panel via a pin pendent from the bottom edge of the door panel, a guide track adjacent the top edge of the door panel, a follower extending from the top edge of the door panel and engaging the guide track, a prime mover for rotating the door post and operating arm, such that as the operating arm swings inward with respect to the vehicle to a position generally perpendicular to the door opening, the door panel rotates outwardly to an open position generally perpendicular to the door opening, the improvement comprising:
 said pin having a longitudinal axis parallel with a longitudinal axis of the door post, 
 a solid skirt seal mounted to the bottom edge of the door panel via a hinged connection which enables the skirt seal to rotate about a hinge axis generally parallel to the bottom edge of the door panel, said hinge axis being above the operating arm, said operating arm being adjacent the bottom edge of the door panel, said operating arm having a portion spaced inwardly of the door panel with respect to the vehicle when the door panel is in the closed position; and 
 a bracket fixed to the door panel and supporting the hinged connection between the door panel and the skirt seal; 
 the operating arm and skirt seal being arranged such that when the operating arm is swung to the position generally perpendicular to the door opening, the operating arm pulls the door panel to the open position and the operating arm pivots the skirt seal away from a floor of the vehicle and outward from an interior of the vehicle and simultaneously collapses a flexible cover extending between the door panel and skirt seal. 
 
     
     
       2. The improvement of  claim 1 , further comprising a spring biasing the skirt seal to rotate toward the floor of the vehicle. 
     
     
       3. The improvement of  claim 1 , further comprising the flexible cover extending between a bottom edge of the skirt seal and the lower edge of the door panel. 
     
     
       4. The improvement of  claim 3 , wherein the skirt seal and the flexible cover define a space. 
     
     
       5. The improvement of  claim 1 , wherein the skirt seal has a brush to accommodate unevenness in the floor of the vehicle. 
     
     
       6. The improvement of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible cover comprises a weather-resistant elastomer.